


Prince Charming

by Cat_Moon



Series: Half Breed: Season Two [12]
Category: Moonlight (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-16
Updated: 2014-10-16
Packaged: 2018-02-21 09:31:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2463407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cat_Moon/pseuds/Cat_Moon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Josef, Shane and Sara have arrived in NY after their road trip.  It’s time for Josef to deal with Sarah Whitley.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Prince Charming

**Author's Note:**

> A bit of everything here folks. Gen and slash, romance and drama… Mickbeth, Shara, JayShay… Nothing explicit though.  
> No spoilers for “Sleeping Beauty” since that episode never happened in my universe, but this story does bring elements from there into my world.

_“Love can show you a part of yourself you never knew existed.”_

_“Or a part that you thought you lost forever.”_

_“Then this happened. I guess the universe had a different plan for me. I guess who I am is who I’m supposed to be.”_

**Mick & Josef, Sleeping Beauty**  
  


 

 

The old man sat in his chair, canister of oxygen at his side. It was late at night, but when you’re ninety three and going to be dying soon, sleep seemed like a waste of precious time. He was troubled. He hadn’t heard from the men he’d hired, and now he feared it would be too late for him to see his one last duty fulfilled.

“I hear you’ve been looking for me.”

The voice startled Whitley; he hadn’t heard anyone enter. He looked up and his eyes widened at the sight in front of him. Even though he knew what the man was, it was still a shock to see a 20-something man standing in front of him not looking a day older than he had in 1955. “Charles Fitzgerald!”

“I was, once,” he acknowledged with a slight nod. “A long time ago.”

Fear had him grabbing for his face mask to assist with breathing, but with the knowledge that his plan hadn’t worked, he knew he had nothing to lose by speaking his mind. “You killed my daughter, you monster!”

“No. He loved your daughter, and she loved him,” a new voice spoke, as two others stepped out of the shadows.

It was the blond vampire he’d seen in the photos from the funeral, and… “What are you doing with my great-granddaughter?!” Whitley demanded.

“She’s where she chooses to be,” Shane answered.

“You’ve seduced another innocent young girl, you mean! Why my family? Why is it we’re cursed like this?”

“They’re not monsters,” Sara told him. “And it’s not a curse, it’s a blessing to know these two special men. Vampires. I came here because I wanted to meet you.”

“I loved Sarah,” Josef explained. “What happened to her was an accident. I never intended to hurt her.”

When the old man reached down beside his chair, Shane was there in a flash, hand covering his. “Whoa, there.”

It was just an old, worn book he’d retrieved. “It’s all here,” Whitley explained. “The truth.”

Shane took it and flipped through it, shooting Josef a glance. “It’s her diary.”

The implications of that were clear. If old man Whitley was privy to his daughter’s personal thoughts and feelings in her own words and still felt no understanding of the circumstances, still believed Josef was a monster who had taken advantage of his daughter, nothing they could say would change his mind. There wasn’t much to say, at this point. The man was old, set in his ways. Even telling him Sarah wasn’t dead and might just be waking up soon… it wouldn’t be a kindness. Mercy sometimes comes in strange packages.

“Did you tell anyone else about this besides those goons you hired?” Josef asked. “Show anyone the diary?”

“Who would believe me,” Whitley spat. “They’d think I was just a senile old man. You’re not fooling me though.”

“I’m sorry you feel like that,” Shane told him, crouching down to his level. “It must be a terrible way to live, with such raw hatred eating up your insides every waking hour. Your heart isn’t good, is it? I can hear it faltering. Your lungs struggling to fill with air just so you can exist in your place of blackness for another day. Aren’t you tired of feeling that kind of pain?”

Whitley just looked at him, beginning to be pulled into the spell of words the vampire wove.

“You know what has to happen now,” Shane told him gently. And he did, the resignation was on his face. “It will be a relief, to finally be free of the burdens you’ve carried alone all this time. Are you a religious man, Mr. Whitley?”

The man nodded slightly.

“Then you might want to ask your savior to forgive your sins, and welcome you home to his arms. Would you like me to pray with you?” Shane asked kindly.

“Yes,” the man whispered.

Shane put a compassionate hand on the old man’s shoulder. “Pray with me, John. Dear Heavenly Father, forgive John Whitley for his sins and welcome him into your kingdom where he can live for eternity, free from the heavy bonds of mortality. Wash away the black hatred in his heart with your loving light. He’s ready to join the loved ones that are waiting for him on the other side. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.”

A single tear slid down Whitley’s cheek. “Amen,” he echoed.

With a single, slight nod from Shane, Josef gently turned Sara around so that they were both facing away from the scene, left to scrutinize the painting on the wall in front of them while Shane turned off the life giving oxygen. A hand over the face and nose cut off that air as well, and he waited, listening, until the weakened heart stopped beating altogether.

 

XXX

 

_They say the journey is more important than the destination, but sometimes the end of the road can turn out to be a crossroads; not an end, but an opportunity to make choices for a new beginning. They also say that plans are made to be changed. Whoever came up with **that** one was a friggin’ genius._

 

“Call me as soon as you know something,” Sara told Shane as she watched him get ready to leave the hotel room.

“Absolutely,” he promised. Shane was on his way to meet Josef at the townhouse, where he’d be on hand during the turning of Sarah Whitley, in case he was needed.

“Wish I could be there, you guys might need the support.” She wasn’t totally happy with having to sit this one out at the Plaza.

“Thanks, babe, but you know it’s not possible. A new turn has like zero control, it’s too dangerous for you to be in the house.”

“I know – you could turn me now too, Aunt Sarah and I could be newbies together, it’d be fun.”

“Fun for the two of you maybe – probably drive _us_ round the bend,” he said with a laugh and a shake of his head. “Besides, I don’t think you want to miss the tour, do you?”

“Hell, no!”

“There you are, then.” He glanced at his watch. “Gotta go.” He drew her into his arms for a goodbye hug and kiss.

“Good luck,” she told him when they parted.

“I’ll pass that sentiment on to the one who needs it.”

 

XXX

 

“Are you losin’ it again?!” Shane paced the room in agitation. “There’s so much wrong with your idea, I can’t even begin to tell you! And even if you could pull it all off, you don’t even know if it’ll work!”

Josef leaned against the bar in affected nonchalance, face remaining impassive despite Shane’s reaction. “Don’t I owe Sarah a chance at a normal life?”

“Do you hear yourself?” Shane asked. “You want to go find Cynthia – because you _suspect_ she helped Coraline with that vampirism cure of hers. How you expect to convince her to help you, I have no idea. Why you’d trust her even if you could is beyond me. And this is of course supposing that the cure doesn’t involve actually killing the donor, I hope?”

“Mick’s been known to be wrong,” Josef pointed out. “And we know there’s more to the cure than just that, Max drained me and it didn’t turn him human.”

“No, just put him off his feed for a few days,” Shane snorted in amused remembrance.

“It’s my fault,” Josef said quietly. “I’m just trying to fix it.”

Shane walked over to Josef and took his face in his hands. “Listen to me,” he implored. “Guilt makes for bad insight. If this was a business deal, you’d never make a risky move like that. And you don’t even know if Whitley might _want_ to be a vampire. Then you’d have to turn her anyway.” He released Josef, regarding him questioningly.

“Remember when we were both living here in New York as the Fitzgerald brothers? We got on each other’s nerves as usual, had a big fight, and you left.”  Josef paused. “I met Sarah after that.”

“Fuck,” Shane exclaimed, turning away. “Why are you telling me this?”

Josef smiled slightly, despite the topic. “It’s part of my new honesty plan.”

“You’re hanging around Mick too much,” Shane decided.

“Do you think four hundred year old people can change?”

“Funny thing about change – I believe we can all do it, but most of us don’t. Guess it depends on how much we want to, and what pay off we’re getting for being the way we are.”

“I remember all those nights we spent in the early days while you were teaching me the ropes, you always had some sort of wisdom for every occasion.”

“Yeah, too bad it all went in one ear and out the other,” Shane teased, then sobered, running a frustrated hand through his long hair. When he spoke again his voice was resigned and quiet. “Okay, look. Give it a chance. If she really hates being a vampire and isn’t taking to the life, I’ll help you track down the cure.” He looked up, pinning Josef with his eyes. “You do know it could get us all killed.”

Josef wasn’t unaware of the reality of that, a cure for vampirism would be viewed as a threat by most of the tribe, and anyone wanting it would be deemed less than trustworthy. He’d been willing to take that chance, alone, but Shane’s offer of help succeeded in clearing his head. He kicked back the remains of his Scotch and poured another, thinking about his “vision” again, of the things he’d seen. Reading her diary had shook him up badly, but no. He wasn’t going to risk Shane for _his_ mistake, just so he didn’t have to feel as guilty.

“You’re right,” he told Shane, taking a gulp of his drink, hoping for some bolstering from it. “I’ve been looking for a way out, anything to avoid having to face the outcome of my decision. Being wrong… it’s never happened before; I don’t know how to deal with it.”

“Jay-Jay…” Shane drew Josef to him, resting their foreheads together. “Over fifty years have gone by. If you’ve moved on that’s not wrong, it’s just reality. It wouldn’t be any different if you were a man whose human wife woke up from a coma after a decade. Except for one thing – she wasn’t a victim of an accident or illness beyond her control; she made a choice of her own free will.”

“And if she wakes up, and is thrilled to see her Charles and thinks it’s 1955 and we’re going live happily ever after, I get to break her heart by telling her it’s 2008 and I have no idea how I feel about her now.” His eyes glittered with unshed tears.

“You’re losing your perspective,” Shane told him gently. “You’re worrying about what’s going to happen, or not happen, imagining all sorts of possibilities ahead of time. Wasting time and energy, because until you actually go in there and give her your blood, and she actually wakes up – you have no clue what’s going to happen.”

“I don’t remember you being so smart,” Josef said, grinning a little.

“That’s because you never listen to me,” Shane told him, giving him a little shake.

“If I think it never should have happened?” Josef challenged, not quite ready to concede entirely yet.

“Maybe there was a _reason_ for it,” Shane countered. “A reason bigger than either of you, that you just haven’t found out yet. Could be all is right with the universe, and happening exactly as it’s supposed to.”

“The universe isn’t supposed to screw Josef Konstantin,” he informed haughtily.

“’Least not without asking _my_ permission first,” Shane told him a grin.

Josef gaped at him like a landed fish at the display of possessiveness, even in jest, totally speechless for one of the rare times in his life.

When it became apparent Josef wasn’t going to say anything, Shane tried filling in the silence. “I was just trying to lighten things up,” he explained. “Relieve the tens—“

A mouth covering his silenced the rest of the sentence, and no more was said for quite some time.

 

XXX

 

“The tension has definitely been relieved,” Josef told him, grinning, as they were sprawled on the couch awhile later.

“That’s not what I—“ This time a finger covered his mouth.

“Don’t take it back.”

Shane didn’t seem to know what to say to that. “Who are you and what have you done with Josef Konstantin,” he finally asked.

“I think the question is, what have you done _to_   Josef Konstantin.”

“What would you like me to say to that?” Shane asked curiously, running a hand through Josef’s hair.

“No need,” he said brightly, “It was a rhetorical question.” He jumped up and beckoned Shane. “I think it’s time to get cleaned up,” he announced.

“Are you stalling?” Shane asked suspiciously.

“You really don’t want me to face Sarah with your spunk all over me, do you?”

 

XXX

 

The water was adjusted to comfortably cool, and the two stepped inside the shower. The mood had shifted again, was more somber now, as Josef stepped into Shane’s embrace. He just stood there, not talking or moving.

“Yeah, uh, I think it’s gonna take us awhile to get clean, at this rate,” Shane said, running his hands over the naked wet skin in front of him.

“There isn’t enough soap in the world to do _that_ , I’m afraid.” Josef joked even though his thoughts weren’t light. Inside, his thoughts were a chaotic swirl. _I wish I could stop time, stay this way forever. I wish this moment never had to end._

“I don’t know if I can do this,” he whispered, letting Shane think he meant just the Sarah situation, when in reality that was only a part of it. _Now that the time is at hand, I don’t know if I can let you go…but I know I have to._ It had been a mistake to let the passion rise again, it just made what was at hand all the harder.

For long moments the only sound was the water raining down on their bodies. “Then you shouldn’t,” Shane finally said. “You keep talking about what you owe her – she does deserve a good sire experience. She’ll sense your turmoil.”

Shane was right, of course. He wasn’t really in any state to function as her sire, and perhaps it was wise to be admitting that. “I’m not keen on putting it off any longer.” He’d lived long enough with the unresolved issue looming ahead of him.

“I don’t think prolonging the inevitable will help you either.”

Josef stepped back to look at him. “You’ll sire her?”

“I don’t think I’m a very good choice either, under the circumstances.”

Josef was quiet for awhile, thinking. He finally uttered one word. “Mick.”

 

XXX

 

_Is this love that I’m feeling?_

_Is this the love that I’ve been searching for?_

_Is this love or am I dreaming?_

_This must be love, ‘cause it’s really got a hold on me…_

**_Is This Love, Whitesnake_ **

 

 

Sara was surprised to see Shane return to their hotel room sometime before dawn and with Josef in tow. She was in bed, but unable to sleep was watching television to pass the time.

“What happened?” she asked from her place on the bed.

“Small change of plans,” Shane explained as he tossed his keycard onto the dresser. “We’re going to be waiting a day or so before the reawakening.” He’d let Josef tell her the rest, in his own way.

Sara could sense the change in mood of course, she’d been around Josef now enough to get fairly good at it. She reached out and snagged his hand when he came close enough, pulling him down onto the bed next to her. “Watch T.V. with us. I found a good 80’s rock station.”

“Rock and roll again,” Josef muttered, affecting distain. He watched the screen for a minute. “Whitesnake is pretty good, though,” he admitted, listening to Coverdale rather appropriately singing “is this love that I’m feeling?”

Shane, who had sat down next to him, smacked him in the arm. “Hey! You _did_  steal my Whitesnake album!”

“I have no recollection of that,” Josef responded with his best Ollie North innocence.

Then, after a few more videos, he told her of his decision regarding Sarah Whitley.

“Sounds like a good plan,” Sara voiced her opinion after Josef had briefed her.

“You don’t think that I’m pathetic for not being able to face it like a man?” Josef queried. His head was resting on her arm, and she’d drawn him close.

“No.” She smacked him hard upside the head.

“You’ll make a perfect addition to the family,” he said wryly as he rubbed the offended area, referring to the way he and Shane had of beating up on each other.

“I think it takes a lot of courage to be man enough to admit when you need help with something. It’s all gonna be okay,” she assured him softly.

“Why is it when you say that I actually believe it?” Josef wondered to himself with some surprise.

“Because I’m wise beyond my years,” was her comeback. “So don’t forget it.”

“You wanna hit the freezer?” Shane said into his ear from his place on the other side.

“I think I’d like to stay here for a little while.”

At times like these, he could almost believe in anything.

 

XXX

 

A very long silence followed an unimaginable question.

“Do you have the wrong number?” Mick’s puzzled voice finally responded over the speakerphone in the study. “This is Mick St. John.”

“Don’t be a wise ass Mick,” Shane told him. “We need you, man.”

“I know what I’m asking,” Josef told Mick quietly. It was huge, what and who they were asking it of. After Mick’s experience with his own turning, he’d be the last one to consider siring anyone. Josef knew how tough it would be on Mick, if he agreed. Conversely though, it might turn out to be the best solution for everyone. Mick would get some experience under his belt before time came for Beth, which could only be a good thing. “And maybe that’s _why_   I know you’re the best vamp for the job. I’m not asking you to turn her, it’ll be my blood; I’m just talking about you being a surrogate sire. I know I once said you weren’t cut out to be a vampire, but I happen to think you’ll make a great sire.”

“Uh, thanks…” Mick murmured, obviously stunned by the compliment.

“If it sweetens the deal any, I’m prepared to call us even on the whole ‘you setting me up’ thing,” Josef said lightly.

“I don’t care about that crap,” Mick said sounding slightly offended. “You’re my best friend, you idiot. I can’t believe I’m even considering this,” he admitted. “Okay, I have two stipulations: first, my wife has to be okay with it. If she can’t handle it, the answer is no.  Second,  I do it _my_ way, no back seat siring from anyone.”

“Fair enough,” Shane agreed.

“You have my word,” Josef told him.

“Okay, I’ll call you later. Right now I have to have a conversation with Beth that I’m _not_ looking forward to.”

“Good luck,” Shane said. He’d need it.

 

XXX

 

“We need to talk,” Mick told Beth, sitting her down at the dining room table.

“I’m not liking the sound of that,” Beth responded, taking in the formal location he’d chosen rather than a more comfortable spot in the living room where they held most of their conversations.

“I got a call from Josef tonight.”

“Did everything go okay?” she said anxiously.

He took a deep breath and just dove in. “There’s been a change in plans; Josef has decided he can’t act as Sarah’s sire. He’s asked me to do it.”

“What?!” Beth exclaimed incredulously. “I don’t understand, why can’t he sire her?”

“It’s…complicated,” Mick mumbled.

“That’s always been your excuse for everything,” she accused.

“The sire’s temperament and state of mind influences the experience of the fledgling, among other things. He’s got…issues, and she would pick up on that. I guess he figured someone with my…background, would be especially empathetic to her situation.”

“And Shane can’t do it, because?” Beth asked pointedly.

“He has a tour to do, the shows have already been booked,” Mick hedged.

“I understand that it’s a very difficult time for Josef and I know it won’t be easy on either of them, but I never would have expected him to back out just because something is difficult.”

“I agree with his reasons,” Mick admitted. “A traumatic turning…” He didn’t have to say more, both of them knew too well the scars that could leave.

“What feelings would she pick up on?” Beth persisted. “What are these issues he’s got that would be so traumatic for her?”

Mick squirmed uncomfortably. There were parts of this that hit a little too close to home for him, made him wonder about his own situation with new eyes. “Sarah wanted to become a vampire so that they could be together forever. Because she loved Josef, and she wanted to be with him no matter what the sacrifice. How do you think she’s going to feel when she wakes up and finds out he’s not in love with her anymore?” Emotion made his voice rough.

“He told you that?” Beth asked, surprised.

Mick folded his hands in front of him, trying to choose his words carefully. “Remember when I told you that there was more going on with Josef and Shane than what we knew?” She nodded. “I was right, there is. They’re…they… there’s a…physical component to their relationship.”

“Physic—are you trying to tell me they’re lovers?! Josef and Shane? Josef with all his gorgeous female freshies, and Shane’s totally head over heels with Sara Adams.”

Mick sighed. “I told you it was complicated.” He smiled slightly. “I grew up during the 20’s, but I’ve heard that these days there’s such a thing as bisexuality.”

Beth gaped at him, looking like she was considering smacking him. “For your information, I fully support the rights of those who live alternate lifestyles,” she informed indignantly.

He had to grin visibly now. “Glad to hear it.”

She glared at him a moment, then had to break down and smile herself. “Okay, so I guess that sounded kind of silly,” she admitted.

“Josef’s a four hundred year old vampire, you don’t get much more alternative than that.”

“I still don’t understand. In fact, I’m probably more confused now than I was.”

How was Mick going to tell his wife that the reason Josef couldn’t be Whitley’s sire _and_  the reason his relationship with Shane was so intense was because of the nature of the sire bond – but not to worry, in the case of him and Sarah it wouldn’t be like that. Not to mention having to explain that sometimes, when you live forever, the rules of monogamy are very different. He was just only now slowly starting to understand some of these things himself.

“I think you need to talk to Josef. Come to New York with me, and at least hear what he has to say.”

Beth paused, regarding her husband. “Do you _want_   to be her sire?” she asked then.

“I wouldn’t actually _be_ her sire,” Mick hastened to explain. “It’ll be Josef’s blood that revives her, if it works. I’ll just be a sort of surrogate sire. And she’ll know the truth from the start.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Do I want to? Hell, you know the issues I've got. Up until a few months ago I swore I’d never turn a human being, no matter what.” He gave her a meaningful look. “My opinion on that has recently changed. I also know what it’s like to wake up to a new, terrifying world. If I have the opportunity to help make someone else’s experience more positive… Not to mention that Josef’s a good friend, and I owe him. Yeah, I’d want to do that.”

 

XXX

 

Saks Fifth Avenue. Macy’s. Beth hit all the biggies, dragging Sara along on her spur of the moment shopping spree. It was only hunger and fatigue that forced her to finally pause for lunch – at the Russian Tea Room.

“What the hell is up with you?” Sara asked, looking at all the bags, some of which she’d had to help carry.

“Me?” Beth said with forced brightness, sipping her cocktail. “I’m just passing the time while the boys have their important vamp meeting.” Their voices were of course, pitched low so as not to travel beyond their table to any other ears.

“Uh huh,” Sara said, clearly disbelievingly.

“And I’ve never been to the Russian Tea Room before. It’s very nice, isn’t it?”

Sara leaned over the table. “Check this out, this is so cool – do you know why we got such a great table and fast service? Just to see what would happen, I mentioned that I’m a close personal friend of Josef Kostan.”

“Well, speaking of the devil… “Beth hesitated, uncomfortable but needing to bring up the subject, not sure how. “Look, I’m just going to ask you straight out. Doesn’t it bother you? About him and Shane?” She could almost see the guard going down over the girl’s face, and she knew Sara well enough by now to know that she would be defending them.

Sara shook her head. “You don’t have a clue.”

“That’s why I’m asking.”

“I know that if I want to be with Shane, I have to accept his nature. If I can’t, what do you think would happen to my relationship with him? The bottom line you need to remember is that they aren’t human, no matter how well they pass. Our rules don’t apply here.”

“So that’s why you put up with it? Because you _have to_?”

Sara rolled her eyes. “I love Shane, all of him. If they’re a package deal – well, I could do a hell of a lot worse. In fact,” she said with a mischievous twinkle, “Having had two sexy men in bed with me, I’d say I’m pretty damn lucky.”

“Uh… TMI,” Beth said faintly.

“So you’re freaked out by the idea of Mick helping Josef sire Whitley,” Sara cut to the heart of the matter insightfully.

Affronted, Beth defended herself. “Look, I’m his wife. And I hear it’s a rather intimate bond.”

“Ask Josef about it, he’ll be upfront with you,” Sara echoed what Mick had said. “You fell in love with a vampire, and you have to accept _all_  that means. It’s gonna be a long eternity otherwise.”

“If infidelity is going to be a part of that… I don’t know,” Beth admitted.

“Good grief! Not everyone is the same, whether human or undead. I think you’re jumping to conclusions, automatically assuming Mick’s going to cheat on you at some point? Sounds like an issue you need to discuss with Mick, if you don’t trust him…”

“I am not!” Beth defended, red faced at the implications. “It wasn’t at all difficult for you to understand? The whole vamp sensuality, with swooning freshies having orgasms from donating blood and warped brother/lover/sire relationships…”

“I’d use another choice of words if I were you,” Sara warned, eyes flashing and steel in her tone belying her diminutive stature.

“I’m sorry,” Beth said contritely, heaving a breath. “Josef’s my friend and I love him. It’s just… all a bit overwhelming to me right now.”

“Talk to Josef.”

 

XXX

 

“Thank you for being willing to listen,” Josef told Beth later that evening. They were in his study in the townhouse, where Beth had sought him out after her shopping expedition, needing more answers to her questions. “I know it’s a lot for you to deal with. I’m sure it’s confusing for you, so feel free to ask me anything you need to.”

“Well, uh…” Beth began, a bit taken aback as she hadn’t been expecting the open, candid attitude.

“Before we start, let me just assure you that I’d never do _anything_  to cause problems between you and Mick. You’re my closest friends, and I cherish you both. You know that.”

“I’m not totally clear on why you can’t sire Sarah Whitley yourself.” It was as good a place as any, to start.

Josef paused, thinking. Then he sighed. “You have to understand, it’s not an easy thing for me to talk about, or even admit. I loved Sarah in 1955. She loved me for what I was, didn’t care. From your experiences with Mick you know how… overwhelming that can be for a vampire sometimes. She was willing to give up everything – her family and her whole life, just to be with me. That’s how much she loved me. I was lost in the romance of it all. And maybe… maybe I wanted someone for _me_ , to be a companion. The centuries can get lonely.”

Beth, touched at his words, reached out and covered his hand with hers. “It’s understandable. No one could fault you for that,” she told him, both supportive and prompting too.

“When she didn’t wake up… it was devastating. I went through a lot of emotions over the following decades. Finally, I made some peace with it. It’s been over fifty years, and I accepted that she was gone from my life a long time ago. And I’m a different person now than I was then. The truth is, I have no clue how I feel about her now, or how I’m going to feel when she wakes up – but I know I can’t pretend she’s still the love of my life in the same way she was then.”

“And… there’s someone else who’s the love of your life now?”

A small smile hinted at his lips. “That’s where it gets complicated. I can’t explain it to you – because I don’t have an explanation for my relationship with Shane. I’m not sure I understand it myself.”

“Is it… because of the sire bond?” Beth ventured awkwardly.

Josef’s smile widened at the realization of what was actually bothering her most about the whole thing. For this, he had an answer that should relieve some of her worries. “I remember when Shane and I first met,” he began reminiscing. “It was before I was turned,” he surprised her by adding. “There was just something about him… “ He knew he was showing more in his expression than he normally would have liked, but she needed to understand. Siring didn’t automatically include a romantic relationship; it still depended on the two people involved. “Yeah, I know, vamp appeal and all that, but it wasn’t just that.”

“Okay,” Beth said brusquely, dismissing with a wave of hand, letting him off the hook but only to change the focus. “So where was this relationship during the time when you met Sarah?” she asked, struggling to figure out why he’d fallen in love with Sarah if there was already someone else.

Josef abruptly got up, turning away. His voice was rough when he spoke. “I’ve never told another soul what I’m about to say to you, Beth. I know what I’m asking of Mick, and you, and so I offer this. We are all a product of our time, even vampires to a certain extent. Shane… has very specific beliefs about certain things. To a modern, 21st century gal such as yourself it may not seem like a big leap from practicing bisexuality to being  _in love_  with someone of the same gender… but for some people it’s inconceivable.”

Josef glanced at her, seeing the dawning knowledge and beginnings of pity. “Don’t,” he warned, pointing an angry finger at her. “Spare your feelings for someone who needs them, like Sarah. You don’t need to feel sorry for me. Don’t forget – I always get what I want, and I have eternity to do it in.” These days, he didn’t even think it was going to take that long.

“What about Sara Adams?” she said softly, tears in eyes but not quite sure who they were for.

Now it was his turn to look slightly pitying. “Sara is a very special girl,” he said fondly. “I understand all about true love between two people. But the truth most mortals can’t deal with is that you _can_ love more than one person at a time.”

“Is that what living forever does to you?” Beth asked, revealing her true, personal reasons for her questioning. “Should I be expecting the same after a few centuries with Mick?”

Josef sat down beside her on the couch and took her hand. “I can’t tell you where you’ll be in a few centuries. I _can_  tell you that I know of a vamp couple who’ve been together for centuries and are still madly in love. And I can promise you that if your relationship does happen to change after several hundred years – not saying it will -- it’ll be gradual, natural, and it won’t be painful.”

“Are you saying your relationship isn’t painful?” Beth challenged.

Josef smiled widely, genuinely. “Mine? It’s better than ever.”

 

XXX

 

The goodbyes were more emotional than expected. Shane and Sara were leaving to join his other band mates for Stand’s tour. Beth had work, so for the next several weeks she’d be seeing Mick only on weekends, when she flew in so they could spend a few hours together. No one was particularly happy about the situation, but all knew it was necessary.

Sara stepped up to Josef, taking his hand. “You gonna be okay?”

“I’m always okay,” he assured her.

“Good. Don’t make us worry about you!” she ordered, slipping her arms around him for a long, tight hug, then a kiss on the lips. “We’re just a cell phone call away. If you need to, for any reason even just to talk – call us!”

“I will,” Josef promised, moved by her concern.

Shane smacked him in the head, with a mischievous grin. “What she said!” Josef barely had time to roll his eyes before Shane reeled him in and, in front of everyone, gave him a real kiss goodbye.

Mick took the opportunity to pull Beth aside so they could have their goodbyes in private. It had been decided from the start that Whitley would do better to be in a familiar environment for the time being, and that meant New York. When Mick had first believed it would only be Josef moving there temporarily, he was less than happy to know his best friend wouldn’t be around for awhile. Now instead he found himself saying goodbye to his wife.

“Do all vampires have kinky sex relationships like this?” she asked him, with a head nod toward the two who were still ‘saying goodbye’.

“No. Uh…give me a break, I’m only eighty six. Turns out I’m not the expert on all things vampire.”

“That’s comforting.” _Not_. “But you’re right. Sarah Whitley deserves a chance to have a decent turning experience. I know you’ll do a wonderful job.” She put her arms around his neck.

Mick was warmed by her support and belief in him. “I know this is hard on you – it’s not easy for me, either. But we don’t exist in a bubble, just the two of us in the universe. There are other people that we care about, who share our lives. Friends we love, family. Yes Sarah and I will probably have a family-type bond. Remember when I told you sire bonds are like any relationship? Some amazing, some terrible? It depends on the two people involved. I’m married to you, and I took my vows seriously. I hope that you know you can trust me.”

“I guess, if we’re going to be together for eternity, I’d better learn to get over my jealousy soon,” Beth responded, giving him a kiss.

“But then I’d have to get over mine…and I’m not sure I’m prepared to do that yet,” Mick told her with a teasing grin. “After all, it’s a foundation of our relationship. We were jealous before we were dating.”

“Oh, that’s right. Wait, did we ever actually _date_? I guess we’re not the poster couple for normal,” she admitted with a rueful laugh.

“I’ll miss you,” Mick told her, turning the conversation serious.

“You’ll have your hands full. The week will pass by quickly. I’m the one who’ll have to go home to that empty apartment every night after work…” It had started out light and teasing, but ended with her almost in tears as she realized the truth of the last part.

“Hey!” he admonished. “None of that. I’ll see you on the weekend. And I’ll call you every spare moment. You’ll get sick of hearing from me.”

“Never,” she vowed, drawing his head down for a kiss.

It was a loud throat clearing that finally broke them apart. Josef was standing there, seeming reluctant to interrupt.

“Beth will miss her flight,” he said quietly.

“I can think of worse things,” Mick said, but let her go and stepped back. “I’ll see you in a few days.”

“A few days,” she echoed, touching his lips with her finger before turned away to get into the waiting taxi.

Mick regarded Josef, knowing that the hang dog look he saw there was reflected in his own face. He clapped his friend on the back as they started back inside the townhouse. “We’re a sorry pair,” he told the vamp.

“Totally pathetic,” Josef admitted sourly.

The next few weeks would probably test them all. Sometimes it’s hard when romance comes face to face with reality.

 

XXX

 

Mick wasn’t sure what woke him. It was still daylight yet, a good several hours before he should have been rising for the night. He climbed out of the ‘guest’ freezer, threw on a robe and headed upstairs. The house was quiet, but he sensed Josef’s presence in Sarah’s room. For some reason the hair on the back of his neck stood up.

He eased the door open, trying to be as silent as he could even though he knew the older vamp would pick up his presence unless very distracted. What he saw shocked him. Josef was standing by Sarah’s bedside, detaching the unit of blood that was feeding her.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Mick demanded, although he already had a sick feeling he knew. Like any vampire, it was blood that had kept her alive and young for the past five decades she’d been in a coma. And without receiving blood regularly, she’d die, just like any vamp.

Josef froze at the sound like a deer caught in the headlights, but recovered quickly and answered readily. “What I should have done a long time ago. I just didn’t have the guts to face it. I let myself be ruled by guilt instead.”

Mick walked further into the room, ire building up. “Are you out of your mind?! After everything you put all of us through?!”

Josef moved towards him, and Mick steeled himself not to be affected by his expression. “Don’t you see, Mick? The only reason she wanted to be a vampire was to be with me forever. The _only_ reason.” He grabbed the collar of Mick’s robe. “That’s not enough!” he insisted adamantly. “You know that.”

“What, so you’re just gonna kill her then?!” Mick’s face twisted with incredulous anger.

“If she doesn’t want to be a vampire; if she hates me for what I did to her, she could be a threat to everyone. To the entire community.”

“You don’t know that for sure. I thought you said she deserved a chance?”

“Don’t let Beth tell you it’s enough,” Josef insisted.

Mick shook his head, not wanting to hear any more.

Josef continued damning romance with the words of reality. “And make sure she knows what she’s getting into – all of it. She has to want it for herself, too. If you can’t be sure of that, don’t turn her!”

“Okay, I get it!” Mick said, just to stop the flow of words and hopefully find a way to calm them both down.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Josef told him. “But my head is clearer than it’s been in a long time. My mind isn’t clouded by that sentimental crap.”

“She still deserves a chance,” Mick insisted. “If she’s not adjusting to the vampire life, we’ll know it.”

“And then what? Revive her just to kill her again? That seems a bit cruel to me,” Josef said, and his voice was controlled and unemotional again, in a way Mick hadn’t seen much of lately. This was the old Josef, and Mick suddenly realized how much had changed about his friend in that brief span of time. “And will I get to do the honors?” Josef continued sarcastically. “Or will _you_ do it?” he said knowing quite well the angst with task would cause Mick.

“Josef, just…” Mick struggled to respond, having no idea how to reason with the other vampire. “Can we just let it alone for today? Have a good sleep and talk about it again tonight?”

“It’s not going to change anything.”

“Humor me, please?”

“Okay,” Josef capitulated. “We’ll talk later.” His tone of voice made clear he expected to be the one talking, with Mick listening.

A battle of wills with Josef Konstantin was a losing proposition. He always won.

 

XXX

 

Mick wasn’t proud of what he did next, but he was forced to admit that words from Josef’s sire might carry more weight than a friend’s. In fact, it was very difficult to go against a sire’s wishes, as he himself knew only too well. So he called Shane.

Shane was apoplectic at the news. “We’re in Jersey now, we’ll be in Virginia tomorrow and we’ve got a two day gig there, with a day off. Put him on the plane. Can you handle things there? Good,” he said without waiting for a response. “He shouldn’t even be in the house with her. Put him on the plane now.”

“If he refuses?” Mick asked.

“Tell him his _sire_  requests his presence,” came the authoritarian voice.

“Easier said than done,” Mick mumbled, hanging up. Perhaps it was the law of karma at work. Certainly Josef had ended up in the middle of a few Mickbeth dramas in the recent past. Now it was his turn to be on the other side of the fence.

 

  
XXX

 

It looked like neither one of them had any intentions of hitting the freezer. Mick found Josef in his study, going through some papers at his desk. There was a stalemate of sorts; Mick watched Josef in silence for a few moments, Josef ignored his presence.

“I talked to Shane,” he finally began hesitantly, unsure of how Josef was going to react. “He’d like you to join the band on the road for awhile.”

Josef looked up at him, and this time there was no reading his expression. It was a face that had won him more than a few hands of poker. After letting Mick wait nervously, the answer when it came was mild and sweetly agreeable. “Okay.” He got up and moved to leave the room. “I’ll go get ready.”

He left Mick standing there, suspiciously wondering if it could really be that easy. Knowing Josef as he did, he was afraid of the answer.

Sighing in consternation, Mick caught up with Josef in the parlor. “You’re taking this better than I thought you would,” he admitted, hoping to bait the vamp into revealing his plans – whatever they were.

Josef rubbed his forehead, then moved to the bar and began fixing them drinks. “I know the two of you think I’ve lost it, but actually I feel more like myself than I have in a long time. My way is the humane way. You bleeding hearts want to do this, fine. I just hope you don’t regret it.” He handed one of the drinks to Mick.

“You’re the one who started this whole thing,” Mick reminded. He noticed that Josef didn’t sit down until after he had claimed a seat on the couch himself first. Apparently it was a battle of body language as well.

Josef sighed. “It never felt _right_ ,” he admitted. “I was just ignoring my common sense in favor of wallowing in my grief and guilt. Think of me what you will, but when it came down to it, my gut instincts wouldn’t let me do it.”

“So you just take off and I’m supposed to deal with her on my own?” Mick was slightly surprised that he was even considering staying, becoming Sarah’s sire for real while Josef was off playing rock fan. It felt surreal.

“No,” Josef answered firmly. “Mick, there’s no reason you have to do this if you don’t want to. You can back out of it; no one will think less of you.”

“And what about Sarah?” Mick asked, although the answer was there in Josef’s eyes.

“Look, I know you. I don’t want to see you get hurt, and I’m sorry I dragged you into this. But you’re here now. And you’re a grown vampire, old enough to make your own decisions. Just know – like the rest of us – you have to live with the consequences, whatever they are.”

“I’ve lived with my share of consequences, thanks,” Mick snapped back, resenting the condescending attitude. “Maybe I’ve got a few things to teach _you_.”

Josef shrugged. “Shit happens. It’s a long eternity. And when I said ‘living with’ I didn’t mean whining about how horrible you are, I meant accepting responsibility and moving on.” He leaned forward. “I think it’s great that you’re accepting what you are – I’ve been waiting a long time to see that – but there’s such a thing as going _too_ far in the other direction. It wasn’t that long ago you would have never considered subjecting another to the vampire life.”

“Sarah’s situation isn’t like mine,” he argued, even as he acknowledged the truth of his friend’s words to himself. Was he really so accepting now that he could go around siring people he didn’t even know? “She knew what she was getting into, she chose it.”

“Yes, she chose to become a vampire in 1955, so that she could be with _me_ forever. Now it’s 2008 and I’m not there. Is that fair to her? I loved her too much to hurt her like that. She gave her life for me; I owe it to her to honor her sacrifice.” He paused to let his words sink in. “You can’t get the past back, it’s gone. For her memory, I owe her peace now. Maybe it’s time for both of us, you and me, to put the past behind us and move forward.”

It was the last sentence that hit Mick the hardest; there was a kind of stark yet pure honesty in it. In the end it was Josef’s decision to make, not his.

“What now?” he whispered.

“You go home to Beth,” Josef said gently. “I stay here and deal with my consequences.”

“I could hang around…” he began, disturbed by the thought of his friend going through that alone. Despite the unemotional facade, Mick knew it had to be a deep pain.

Josef rose, shaking his head. “This is something I need to do alone.” He gave Mick’s shoulder a squeeze on his way past. “But first I have to deal with getting a certain over-protective galoot off my back, thank you very much for that.”

 

XXX

 

“Some Prince Charming I turned out to be,” Josef said sadly to Sarah, as he sat beside her and stroked her hair. His eyes took in the figure on the bed intently, committing her peaceful image to memory. It would have to last him forever. She was like a sleeping angel, one who deserved to finally be given her wings and fly free of the bonds of this world he’d held her prisoner in for five decades.

“I never deserved you, I know that now. The universe…had a different plan for me, I just wouldn’t listen. I was trying to be someone I wasn’t and when you came along I thought that was my chance to wipe out everything that came before and start over.”

It had worked, for a little while. He’d lived the fairytale everyone dreams of having, the kind singers write love songs about. Basked in her overwhelming love for him, thinking it would never end. For the first time in his centuries on earth he forgot he was Josef Konstantin and started to believe he really was his current persona: Charles Fitzgerald. In the end, Sarah may have known he was a vampire, but she didn’t know _him_. They’d both taken a gamble on love and lost. One of them would live with the consequences for eternity; the other would have eternal peace. It was the least he owed her.

“Your love for me was pure and true, and in my love for you I let you go. May you rest in peace, my beloved Sarah Whitley.”

A single, sure, downward stroke of a razor sharp blade; a prayer to a being Josef hadn’t prayed to in centuries, and the bonds connecting the two were severed. One soul finally free, the other earthbound by choice.

 

XXX

 

Josef stepped out of the bedroom and closed the door softly behind him. The Cleaners would be arriving shortly; he’d made all the arrangements. Living as Sarah Whitley, she would die as Whitley Fitzgerald, beloved wife of Charles. For all intents and purposes, Charles had died in 1955 – the same day Sarah did.

And for the first time in four hundred years, Shane was able to “sneak up” up on Josef. When he walked into the parlor, they were there waiting for him, Shane and his Sara.

Josef sighed. “What are you two doing here?”

“Where else would we be?” Shane asked rhetorically.

They both opened their arms and encouraged him into a three-way hug, lending non-judgmental acceptance, support and comfort with their presence. Josef welcomed it.

“Wanna join us on the road for awhile?” Shane offered when they broke apart.

Josef shook his head, seeing through the offer to the concern underneath. “Between the vacation in San Diego, flight to Alaska, road trip, and arrival here I’ve been away from business for too long as it is. What I _really_   want to do is go home and get life back to normal.”

“As long as you’re sure,” Sara told him.

“I’m fine,” Josef insisted. “And I think maybe we need this time apart.” He glanced at Shane meaningfully. “It won’t be years this time.”

“I’ll expect you to show up for a few of the gigs at least.” Shane’s way of saying “hell no, it won’t be years!”

“Count on it,” Josef promised, grabbing his bag.

As the three of them left the townhouse, the vampires sensed the presence of another vamp. With a human companion.

Josef glanced at Shane, seeing his own surprise mirrored; he hadn’t known Mick and Beth were going to show up either. They stood outside at the bottom of the steps, waiting.

“And what are you doing here?” Josef asked, trying to sound stern when he was actually touched.

“You’re our best friend,” Beth said simply, moving to hug him and not taking no for an answer.

Josef narrowed his eyes at Mick when Beth had finally let him go. “You’re not going to hug me too, are you?” he asked suspiciously.

With an amused grin to the others, Mick did just that. Josef suffered the attention amiably.

“Can we go home now?” Josef wanted to know when he was released.

“Well, we’re all here, it’s nighttime in New York,” Mick began. “Why don’t we hit a jazz club before we leave?” His attempt to lighten the mood for Josef’s benefit was transparent, but no less appreciated for that.

Josef thought about it for a moment. “Find one that plays the blues. It’s definitely a night for blues.”

“Blues it is,” Mick agreed in a solemn voice.

As the five of them walked down the street together, Josef found himself in the middle surrounded by his friends.

His family.

 

The end

2/28/09

 

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s note: Some readers may not like the unexpected veer in direction, but this story is a good example of what happens when you don’t listen to your muses. This was the most difficult story I've ever written. I wanted to do it my way but my muse was against it. Our battle was long, but in the end he won. No matter how much I wanted the storyline to go in another direction, it just felt “wrong” and I couldn’t bring myself to write it. Writing without the muse is not an experience I enjoy. This was the way it had to be.


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